Category Archives: Goals

Women and Money: Where the Magic Begins

Posted in Financial Planning, Goals, Women and Money on by .

The women I meet are AMAZING.

They are running, and they are running FAST.  They are seeking to improve their communities, embracing aspirations, taking care of others, and following their desires … all while sorting out their own personal financial journey.

These women’s stories are relatable, passion filled, and inspiring:

“I want to play an important role in stopping human trafficking so much that I feel it in my bones.  I’d like to earn a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, but I still have undergraduate student loans.  How do I make it work without hurting my future choices?”

“I have had a long, successful career as a lawyer, and now I want to start my own business.  I have some money saved for retirement, but I don’t want to tap into it for my regular day-to-day spending while I get my business off the ground.  What do I do?”

“We didn’t have any money growing up and when we did, it went fast.  I now have an incredible job and make more money than I ever dreamed.  Yet, I barely have anything saved.   How do I learn to think differently about money?”

“My sister is a playwright and doesn’t make a lot of money.  I’m single and have worked in corporate America all my life.  I want a comfortable retirement, and I’d also like to help my sister so she can continue to pursue her craft comfortably.  How do I do this without negatively impacting my own retirement?”

These are all deeply personal, laudable, life-altering goals!

My answer to each one is the same – and it’s neither to stop spending nor to tuck away a heartfelt dream.  Simply stated: we must “SIZE IT” in order to “SEIZE IT”!

We need to …

… determine how big the desired goal is;

… see what money is coming in, what money is going out, and what money is saved;

… consider all the possible ways to achieve the goal – there’s never just one way; and

… calculate the dollars needed for each of options.

Once we do this, the MAGIC begins to happen.

As we talk through the various paths to success and see the trade-offs, she begins to OWN where she wants to go and how to get there.  She says YES to things that fill her up and NO to things that are just things.  She is courageous in her answers because she is coming from a place of knowledge, power, and energy.  She is moving from a being a worrier to a true warrior around her money.

If she wants a masters degree, to retire, start a business or understand her money, she has to be intentional with money.  She has to be disciplined and persistent.  She has to track it, monitor it, and let it flow.  Money is energy.  It needs to flow in and flow out and with intention it needs to know its true purpose.

This is what’s truly thrilling about empowering women through financial planning.

It begins with an authentic PURPOSE, driven by KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, COURAGE, DISCIPLINE, and PERSISTENCE.

It’s evolving from being a worrier about money to becoming a warrior for your goals.

It’s about being intentional in your financial choices.

It’s seeing money as energy that can strengthen your financial world … and give you the power to move towards your heartfelt desire.

Let’s create the magic together.  We love helping women HONOR their purpose, LIVE their purpose and CELEBRATE their purpose.

November 2016 Blog Posting: Can Money Buy Happiness?

Posted in Financial Planning, Goals, Happiness, Women and Money on by .
2016-september-carolyn-and-beth-fpa

Beth and I recently attended the Financial Planning Association conference and learned more about the research of Positive Psychology and its applications to financial planning.

We learned about “Wellbeing Theory” which states that wellbeing and happiness are a function of five core elements (PERMA):

1. Positive Emotion
2. Engagement
3. Relationships
4. Meaning
5. AccomplishmentIt is believed that these five elements can help people achieve a life of fulfillment, happiness, and meaning.  How does this relate to money?  Well, you can promote greater wellbeing by aligning your spending with these 5 elements.  The idea is that “if money doesn’t make you happy then you probably aren’t spending it right.” (Dunn, Gilbert, and Wilson, 2011).

Discretionary spending priorities that promote wellbeing include:

  • Buy more experiences than things.
  • Spend money on others.
  • Buy many small pleasures versus a few large ones.
  • Delay consumption, buy it now and consume it later.
  • Be cautious of comparison shopping
  • Pay close attention to the happiness of others.

Of course, it is not just about how you spend.  You can do a lot to foster wellbeing without spending a dime.  Enjoying the outdoors, reading a favorite book, spending more face to face time with friends, and volunteering are all free.

Here are two exercises you can do if you would like to promote more wellbeing in your own life.  Research has shown that they increase happiness levels over time:

Exercise 1:   What Went Well

For one week write down 3 things that went well every day and why they went well.

This exercise is especially useful for major life transitions and when you are trying to change your behavior.

Exercise 2:  Gratitude Visit

  • Select an individual who has positively contributed to your life and write a brief but specific letter to that person.
  • Arrange a meeting with that person and have a conversation with that person about this topic.
  • Then read the letter to them.

This exercise is especially useful for promoting positive relationships across multiple generations.

If this topic intrigues you, go to the University of Pennsylvania’s website on Positive Psychology:  www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu for more information!

Thanks,
Carolyn Nunez, CFP®  and Beth Remick, CFP®  
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